


The Beginnings

by apocryphile



Category: West Wing
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-03-30
Updated: 2011-03-30
Packaged: 2017-10-17 09:38:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/175457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/apocryphile/pseuds/apocryphile
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Scenes from Donna's path to the White House. Compatible with the flashbacks in In The Shadow Of Two Gunman, Part II</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Beginnings

Bartlet For America Campaign Office, New Hampshire. 1997.

“So, do you have a place to stay?”

She’s startled, hadn’t heard him approach and prop himself in the doorway, engrossed in a sheaf of scribbled notes it looks like she was in the middle of trying to tidy.

The look on her face goes from surprised to resigned in a heartbeat, and he realises too late what he wasn’t implying.

“I’m not inviting you back to my hotel room. I’d keep you up all night.”

That didn’t come out right either.

“I mean… I mean, I don’t sleep much. I work. Not that I would make you help me.”

At least not at first.

“I’ll ask if you can stay with CJ and Margaret.”

Two more life-changing friendships before the day is over.

\-----------------  
Bartlet For America Election Night Party, New Hampshire. 1998.

She’s disappointed when he doesn’t hug her first, but only a little. She’s elated and terrified and excited and so, so happy. She clings to Margaret and feels a little bit worse when Leo breaks in to embrace his assistant and Josh is still across the room with Sam and Toby.

And then he turns to her with the biggest grin she’s ever seen, crosses the room in two strides – and then he takes her face in his hands and kisses her, hard. She’s too stunned to respond but he lingers, and she gathers herself and kisses him back. They’re breathing heavily when she pulls away, blushing. He leans his forehead against hers and smiles. His voice, barely a whisper, is hoarse from all the roaring about the real thing he and Sam have just been doing.

“Won’t be able to do that again for a while.”

She gapes at him. He looks around quickly then turns back to her with a smile and kisses her again, and it’s a little too rough but it’s over too fast for her to slow him down. He pulls her into a hug. He’s still holding on to her when the Governor asks for everyone’s attention and starts thanking them.

\-----------------  
Dupont Circle, Washington DC. 1998.

She’s freezing. She’s from Wisconsin, for goodness sake, but something about the wind here is almost painful. She blows on her coffee, and a little cloud of steam makes her nose tingle for a moment.

He gestures vaguely.

“Adams Morgan is… over there a bit. It’s fun. Or at least it used to be. I haven’t been over there in a while…”

He’d realised she barely knew the city, aside from the inevitable school trip as a girl. So at lunchtime, he takes her for walks. She doesn’t tell him that his random wanders are more disorienting than enlightening, and that his thoroughly boyish tastes in food and distraction negate the helpfulness of most of his recommendations. But she pays careful attention. She might still need to find her DC, streets and bars and stores she likes, but she also needs to learn his. She wonders if she’ll ever have to book him a table for a date at his favourite restaurant.


End file.
